A U.S. federal court in Massachusetts has directed the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to promptly resume processing immigration applications that had been put on hold for individuals affected by restrictions on 39 countries, including Nigeria.

In her ruling on Thursday, Judge Julia Korbick ordered that the suspension on processing for the affected applicants be lifted without delay. The decision represents another legal setback for the administration of Donald Trump, whose policy of halting application reviews has faced multiple challenges in court.

The case, brought by a group of 22 plaintiffs, was led by immigration attorney James Hacking, who argued that the policy unfairly targeted individuals based solely on their country of origin rather than their eligibility.

This judgment follows a similar ruling delivered days earlier by Judge George Russell of the Maryland District Court, who ordered USCIS to proceed with the applications of 83 individuals who claimed they were being discriminated against due to their nationality.

The contested policy had left many legally residing foreign nationals unable to renew essential documents such as work permits, asylum status, and green cards after travel restrictions were expanded to include those already living in the United States.

International students, particularly those in science and technology fields, were also impacted, as their Optional Practical Training applications remained pending.

Despite collecting over $1 billion in application fees, USCIS had continued to delay processing, a move that plaintiffs argued in court was unjustified and discriminatory.